Australia will begin detaining visitors who overstay their visas as part of a broader immigration crackdown aimed at reducing migration and discouraging people from remaining illegally in the country.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced that the Australian Border Force would recruit an additional 100 compliance officers to detain or encourage the departure of the approximately 77,000 individuals currently residing in Australia without a valid visa.
Burke explained that “consequences” for overstaying would be reinstated in order to combat “disingenuous” asylum claims.
Speaking at the National Press Club last Thursday, he said that, until 2015, Australia had a routine process whereby people who had overstayed their visas were taken to detention centres. According to him, this prompted them to “organise their own flight and leave” within a few weeks.
As part of the expansion, the government plans to add 250 detention beds and is considering repurposing a former quarantine facility in Melbourne.
Burke has, however, rejected comparisons with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “This is not the sort of operation that some people have seen on TV happening in other countries”, he said.
To close any remaining loopholes, the government said it would also tackle so-called “visa hoppers”, foreigners who move from one type of temporary visa to another to prolong their stay in Australia.
Under the proposed changes, a “No Further Stay” provision would prevent visitors arriving on a tourist visa from applying for another type of visa while in the country.
International students seeking a new study visa would also have to demonstrate that they are progressing towards higher qualifications, rather than moving between lower-level courses simply to extend their stay.
@theageaustralia Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has unveiled the government’s revamp of Australia’s migration settings, announcing changes to student visas, working holidaymakers and the practice of “visa hopping”. Addressing the National Press Club, Burke said the changes would restore confidence in the Australian migration system, breaking his proposal down into the categories “who arrives”, “who stays” and “who leaves”. Read more at the link in bio.
♬ original sound – The Age
Other reforms include preventing family members from accompanying international students and introducing a ballot system for working holiday visas.
The detention measures have drawn immediate criticism from human rights groups, which have raised concerns about their legality and the safety of those held in detention centres.
Rebecca Eckard, director of policy at the Refugee Council of Australia, told AFP that the move might not even be legal as “it is being framed as punitive to change behaviours”, adding that “the use of punitive detention is not permitted under Australia’s immigration act”.
The groups have also accused the country’s far-right One Nation party of being responsible for the hardening of conditions, a claim that the ruling Labor government has denied.
While Australia remains a very popular tourism destination, attracting millions of visitors each year, the number of visa overstayers has grown from 64,000 in 2016 to about 77,000 in 2026.
Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Matt Thistlethwaite clearly summarised the measure and its intended deterrent effect in comments to broadcaster News24:
“Once the word gets around, ‘hey, I overstayed on my tourist visa for a couple of weeks, I got picked up and I spent a couple of weeks in immigration detention, it’s not a nice place, I’m going home’. Once that gets around, then we think that obviously that deterrence will ensure that people abide by the conditions,” he said.
The measures have also raised concerns within the tourism industry.
Erin McLeod, chief executive of the Australian Tourism Industry Council, which represents thousands of small tourism businesses, warned that the government’s approach could have damaging consequences.
“I don’t think it does our reputation as a welcoming destination any good and can become quite damaging – tourism is an important part of the Australian economy,” she told AFP.
